Penguins-Blues In-Game Blog

4:10: St. Louis put the pressure on from the drop of the puck in overtime and the result was Erik Johnson beating Brent Johnson with a wrist shot from between the circles. Blues 1, Penguins 0.

5:00: The Penguins are a perfect 2-0 in overtime so far this season.

OVERTIME

0:00: This game has been so well-played by these two teams that we are going to get a little bonus hockey here tonight! The game heads to overtime with the score tied at 0-0.

1:36: Halak just made not one ... not two ... but three great saves on Crosby from a total of about 10 feet away. Comrie also missed putting in a rebound by inches as it's the Penguins turn to put on the pressure.

3:36: Wow is this game opening up here over these last two minutes. What a pace.

5:59: It hasn't paid off yet, but the way the Penguins are staying strong on the forecheck and forcing the Blues into turnovers, you feel like it is only a matter of time until the Penguins are rewarded for getting to their game.
8:28: Pittsburgh threw the kitchen sink at Halak, but once again he is playing super-human in the net as the Blues kill the penalty.
9:36: The Penguins thought they had a huge late goal but Crosby's shot from the slot went off the post.
10:28: Another chance for the Penguins to capitalize on the power play late in the game after Oshie high-sticks Orpik in the near corner behind the Penguins net.

11:53: Huge save right there by Halak (I can't tell you how many times I feel as if I have written that since April 30 of last spring). Letang was in deep when he picked the pocket of one of the Blues. Letang then skated to the slot and fed a wide-open Mike Rupp at the side of the net. Halak flopped on his side and kicked Rupp's shot up into the netting to keep this game scoreless.

13:59: Great job by the penalty killers to keep the Blues to the outside and kill that penalty off. Johnson made a pair of great saves on Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo to help the cause.
15:59: Now it's going to be up to the Penguins penalty killing unit because Letestu was just called for a hooking penalty.
18:18: St. Louis is able to kill off the Perron penalty.

19:25: Already having played yesterday against Chicago, the Blues are gonig to have to play the remainder of this contest without defenseman Roman Polak, who is out with an arm injury.

20:00: The Penguins open the period with 1:41 to work with on the man-advantage.

0:00: We still have no score after 40 minutes of play despite the Penguins outshooting the Blues, 19-7, in the second period. Pittsburgh holds a 22-14 shots advantage.

0:20: David Perron took an interference penalty in the slot, but the whole play was made by Crosby and Malkin hustling back to force a turnover in the neutral zone.

3:58: St. Louis defenseman Roman Polak just went off the ice to the locker room following a collison with Crosby just before that last penalty.

4:35: McClement had himself a shorthanded breakaway against Johnson, but he shot the puck about 10 feet over the net to waste that chance.
5:24: Pittsburgh goes on the power play for the second time this period. Alex Steen went off for hooking.

8:31: One of Halak's better saves of the game as he moves quickly to his right to deny a Crosby chance from three feet away at the top of the crease.

10:05: Eric Tangradi's hustle carrying the puck out of his own zone led to Andy McDonald taking the Blues' first penalty of the night for holding.
10:28: Add another stellar glove save to Johnson's resume. He just caught T.J. Oshie's blast from the top of the far circle.

11:25: Brent Johnson began his career with St. Louis. He is giving his former fans an impressive showing. He just made a good glove save on McClement's wrist shot from the slot.

13:44: FSN just showed highlights of what Jaroslav Halak did to the Penguins last spring in the postseason. Man, was that still very painful to watch.
15:15: Nice save there by Johnson as he uses his chest protector to steer away a wrist shot from the right point by Alex Steen, who was covering for one of his defensemen.

Who didn't love Ozzie "The Wizard" Smith as a kid?
16:36: We have our first fight of the hockey game as the Penguins Craig Adams squares off with the Blues B.J. Crombeen. It was a pretty good go-around for a couple of non-fighters.

17:26: Pittsburgh is doing a much better job of getting traffic and shots towards Halak through the first three minutes of the middle frame. Already the Penguins have equalled the three shots they registered in the first period.

18:53: Crosby is pulling off some super-human moves out there on the ice right now. He just escaped a Boyes check along the boards and sent a backhander towards Halak which almost skipped in. Kunitz and Cooke were in front banging away at the rebound.
20:00: The Penguins need to focus on generating more scoring chances here in this second period.

SECOND PERIOD

To the right, Donora's own Stan "The Man" Musial
FIRST PERIOD NOTES:-Ben Lovejoy leads the Penguins with three hits.
- Alex Goligoski played a game-high 8:00 minutes.
- Scoring chances were 8-0 in favor of St. Louis.

0:00: No score after 20 minutes here in this defensive battle at Scottrade Center. Shots on goal favor the Blues, 7-3.

1:41: The Penguins are coming off a physical, playoff-style game on Thursday against Nashville. Tonight's game against the Blues has the same playoff feel to it.
6:41: Pittsburgh has now killed off both St. Louis power plays.

8:41: Brooks Orpik takes an interference call after stepping into Andy McDonald when the latter didn't have the puck.

9:31: Sharp save right there by Brent Johnson, who dropped down into a butterfly position to catch Jay McClement's shot from the near circle through traffic.

13:13: Crosby just tried making one of those plays only he can make. One of the Penguins missed the net with a shot, and Crosby, stationed to the right of Halak, tried re-directing the puck between his legs from the goal line off Halak. Most of us would have failed miserably - Crosby nearly sneaked a shot in.

16:13: It looked like the Blues were going to strike first but Brad Boyes fanned on a centering pass at the top of the crease with a wide-open net starring at him. Mike Comrie made a good play to get stick on stick to prevent the scoring chance.

17:28: Good start for Brooks Orpik on his first shift as he showed no effects of the goin injury which kept him out for six games.
20:00: The puck is dropped and things are under way at the Scottrade Center.
FIRST PERIOD

8:04 PM: The Penguins will face a familiar friend tonight as the Blues will go with No. 1 netminder Jaroslav Halak in goal. You probably don't need to be reminded that it was Halak who pretty much single-handily - with the help of Mike Cammalleri - eliminated the Penguins from the playoffs last spring as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
8:02 PM: Brent Johnson, owner of the perfect 4-0 record, returns to the crease tonight for the Penguins. Here is the rest of the lineup head coach Dan Bylsma will use against the Blues:

8:00 PM: The Penguins look to pick up their fifth win in a row tonight as they take on the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center. Pittsburgh's effort receive a boost as defenseman Brooks Orpik returns to the lineup for the first time since missing six games with a groin strain. Orpik takes Andrew Hutchinson's spot.